Wait for It
by Madje Knotts
Summary: "Love and Death do not discriminate between the sinners and the saints, they take and they take and they take." An angsty oneshot sent in the Page XXIII universe


**This was inspired by the Hamilton song Wait For It. This is angst, pure and simple. There is no happy ending to this! I'm sorry!**

 **Dedicated to Clare, Sasha, and Dee because, well, you guys know why! And as always, this is for the Squad!**

 **Trigger Warnings: Death, Stillbirth, and Assault.**

* * *

 **Wait For It**

"Robin, you've got a bunch of letters," Little John called as he traipsed into the Merry Men's camp after his weekly trip into the village for supplies, "How you convinced the old woman to keep your letters for you is beyond me."

Robin laughed, leaping to his feet so he could take the letters from his friend, "She'd trying to get in my good graces. I think she wants me to marry her granddaughter."

"I think she's out of luck on that one," Little John laughed as Robin took his letters to read in the privacy of his tent.

"I have no idea what you mean," Robin called back over his shoulder. But Little John was right, the old woman's granddaughter had no chance, not since he'd met his Regina. The day she'd walked into the tavern had been the best day of his life. He could still remember every second of that night. Could still smell and feel everything he'd experienced and he was certain he wouldn't forget a second of it anytime soon.

They'd met clandestinely for a month before she'd finally revealed her true identity to him. She was the Queen. He was in love with the Queen. She'd stared at him quietly after telling him who she was, waiting for his judgement.

His first instinct had been to leave and never meet with her again. He couldn't be with her. That was treason and they could both be killed for it. But he couldn't let her go either. Treason be damned, he loved her more than life itself and he told her so in that moment. She'd blushed and admitted that she had been sure he was going to leave her behind before returning his declaration of love.

They'd continued their clandestine meetings for another month before Regina had told him that her husband was insisting that she join himself and the Princess at the Summer Palace for the season and she couldn't deny him. They'd been forced to say goodbye and Regina had promised to write even if he could never return her letters for fear of discovery. She'd written him daily, as promised, for the two months since she'd left and Robin missed her desperately. They still had close to a month before Regina was supposed to return home and even then there was no telling when they'd be able to see each other again since Leopold was not scheduled to leave again for many months.

Robin read the first six letters from this week and his heart ached as Regina described how she'd been sick for days and ignored by the very people who called themselves her family. The final letter from the week was in a different tone. Regina wrote that her sickness had gotten to the point where the King had decided to send her back early. She would be home probably before he read the letter and would he be willing to sneak into the palace to see her?

Robin didn't think twice about what was being asked of him and he rushed out of the camp, stopping only briefly to inform Little John that he'd be gone for a time. He arrived at the palace walls not long after sunset and waited, in the spot Regina had described in her letter, for the guard Regina had told him was loyal to her to come and lead him into the palace and Regina's chambers.

Regina was sitting at her vanity, fiddling with a plain simple ring on a chain when he was led inside. He felt a grin spread across his face as he stared at the vision before him. She turned around after a moment, still unaware of his presence, and she startled hard when she saw him standing there. When she realized just who he was, however, tears sprang to her eyes as she jumped out of her chair and dashed across the room to throw herself into his arms.

"You came!" Regina whispered, burying her face into his chest and clutching his shirt as if she'd never let him go again, "I wasn't sure you'd risk it. I'm so happy to see you."

"I would risk everything to see you," Robin admitted, "I have missed you more than you could ever know."

"I think I know," Regina whispered, craning her head back to look into Robin's eyes, "because I missed you just as much. Gods, I love you."

Robin leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips gently, once, twice, three times before it grew heated and they kissed until they had to part for air. Robin brushed the tip of her nose with his and whispered, "I love you too."

Regina sunk back into his embrace and sighed heavily, "I'm so glad you're here."

Robin pressed a kiss to the top of her head, "How are you feeling my love?"

"Mostly just tired right now," Regina sighed, "I'm only sick early in the day, but then I'm exhausted the rest of the day."

"Well, why don't we get you to bed then?" Robin suggested, rubbing Regina's back gently.

She shook her head, swaying slightly from exhaustion, "Not if you're going to leave."

"Milady, you're exhausted," Robin pointed out, "and practically asleep on your feet. You need to sleep."

"Will you stay?" Regina asked, allowing him to lead her over to the bed where a simple white nightgown was laid out, "Please, promise me you'll stay."

"Regina…" Robin protested as he began to help her undress.

She interrupted him, "No one will come in until I call for them. My guard has been given strict orders. You'll have plenty of time to return to camp if you choose to in the morning."

Robin sighed as he pulled the nightgown onto her body. Finally he nodded reluctantly, "I'll stay for the night, but I can't stay long into the morning."

Regina nodded and allowed him to help her get settled in bed. Robin quickly undressed and climbed in beside her, pulling Regina close so she could lay her head on his chest. Within moments, Regina was asleep, her breaths deep and even as she cuddled close to him. He watched her sleep for a long time, thinking how lucky he was to be in a position that so many others wished to be in. He didn't know if there was a reason he was by her side when so many others had, undoubtedly, tried, but he was grateful that love didn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints any more than it discriminated between the queens and the outlaws. One day, he could be by her side in public, but until that day came, he would just have to wait for it.

* * *

Regina awoke first the next morning, her stomach roiling in protest and she flung herself out of bed to empty its contents into her chamber pot. She sat there, dry heaving as her stomach contracted painfully. She distantly felt her hair being pulled back from her neck and gentle circles being rubbed on her back. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, bracing her forearms on either side of her chamber pot as she waited for her stomach to settle.

After a moment, she pushed herself up and leaned back against Robin as he continued to rub her back and whisper soothingly into her ear. Pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, he asked, "What's going on? Are you alright, love?"

She nodded weakly, an idea forming in her mind. But that was impossible. It had to be impossible. Suddenly she gasped as she realized that it wasn't impossible, in fact, it was completely possible. Regina turned her upper body to face Robin, eyes wide in fear as she whispered, "I think I'm pregnant."

Robin's hand stilled on her back and Regina was briefly fearful that he was going to leave without a word, but her fear was unfounded and he kissed her forehead, "Is it...?"

"Your?" Regina finished as he trailed off. She thought for a second as he nodded, trying to figure out when she'd last bled before nodded her head in confirmation, "I believe so. Before this summer, the last time I was with the King was two months before I met you. And I haven't bled since before that day in the tavern."

Robin smiled broadly, though Regina could tell he was worrying about how they were going to keep this from the King, and he whispered, "I can't believe we are going to be parents."

Regina giggled, "Neither can I. I don't know what we're going to do if my husband finds, but I can't bring myself to care. I'm just so happy."

` "We have a month to figure everything out," Robin assured her, "We can make our plans and be ready to run away before he returns. I love you and I want to be by your side forever."

Regina sighed and leaned back into his embrace again, "Forever sounds good to me."

But forever wasn't in the cards for them. Leopold returned two days before they had planned to run away and he caught them together in Regina's chambers, in her bed. Robin had been thrown in the dungeon and now, three months later, his execution date had arrived. Regina was two months from giving birth and had been held prisoner in her own chambers since Leopold had found out about the affair. He'd been beyond angry when he'd found out about her pregnancy, but had decided to keep her and her child alive until the child was born and then decide what to do with both of them.

She'd begged to be allowed to see Robin one last time before his death, but Leopold had refused. Until this morning when he'd stormed into her chambers and commanded her to get dressed. He'd then dragged her to the dungeons where they were preparing Robin for his execution. Leopold threw her into the cell next to Robin's and left, telling them that they had ten minutes.

"Robin," Regina sobbed, moving as close to the bars as her swollen stomach would allow her. She reached through the bars to cup his cheeks, breath hitching as he did the same, "This is all my fault. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry, my love." Robin leaned his head forward as far as he could and Regina mirrored him until their foreheads were touching, "The fact that I got to be with you is worth dying for. You were mine, if only for a short time."

"I will never stop loving you," Regina promised, still sobbing, "and I will tell our child all about you and how wonderful you are."

"I will be watching over you, even in death," Robin swore and pressed a kiss to her lips. He tried to pull back after a few seconds, but Regina held tight to his face, not allowing him to move. They continued to kiss until they heard the door to the dungeon crashing open again and they pulled back reluctantly.

"I won't let them take you," Regina sobbed, clutching at his hair, his shirt, at anything she could reach that might allow her to hold onto him forever, "He can't do this. He can't. I won't let him. I can't lose you."

"Shh," Robin soothed, stroking her hair, "don't do anything rash, my love, please. Promise me."

"No, I can't," Regina cried and then screeched in fright as hands grabbed her and began to pull her away. "No! No! Let me go! You can't! You can't kill him! Let him go! Let us both go, please!"

The guards dragging Regina away ignored her and carried her out of the dungeons despite her pleas. They carried her to the King's chambers and threw her down hard in front of his, stomach first. She cried out in pain as her stomach struck the floor and the King kicked out at her stomach to silence her. He commanded her to stop her crying and clean herself up because he wanted to be sure she was presentable when he forced her to watch her Outlaw die. She begged him not to make her go, but in the end he cleaned her up himself and dragged her out to watch the execution.

The pain in her stomach intensified as the charges against Robin were read and by the time the noose was lowered around his neck, she could barely see anything because of the pain. As Robin's neck snapped audibly when he dropped, Regina felt something warm flow down her legs. When she looked down, she saw the puddle of blood and realized what had happened. The fall and kick earlier had forced her body to try and expel her child. Her baby was coming, two months early and Regina had no idea what was going to happen next.

Six hours later, during which time she had continued to believe in a manner that the midwives had been obviously worried about, Regina finally gave one last push and felt her child slide out of her. The baby was silent and Regina knew without confirmation that her child had died when she'd been thrown to the ground in front of the King. She was numb and unable to even sob as her daughter was placed in her arms by a sorrowful midwife. Regina stared down at her daughter's tiny, perfect form and could see traces of her father in her face; the very father who would meet his daughter in death before Regina could.

Regina felt her vision begin to blur and heard the midwives and her servants begin to panic. Regina realized that she was still bleeding and that she was dying. But she was okay with that. If she died, she would be with Robin and their daughter again. Her last thought was that death had discriminated between the sinners and the saints that day. It had taken and taken and now it would take one more time, and she could not wait for it.

* * *

 **Please Don't Kill Me. But Please Do Tell Me What You Think!**


End file.
